1. Field of the Invention
In an automobile, a cable operated interlock between the gear selector lever of an automatic transmission and the ignition switch prevents complete return of the ignition switch to its Off position, and thus prevents removal of the ignition key, until the gear selector lever is first returned to its Park position.
2. Description of Related Art
An important safety consideration for automobiles equipped with an automatic transmission is that the transmission be placed in the Park condition before the driver exits the vehicle. Failure to place the transmission in Park may allow the automobile to roll forward or backward while unattended.
To reduce the incidence of this potentially unsafe situation, the prior art has taught to equip an automobile with an interlock device to prevent removal of the ignition key from the ignition switch lock cylinder until the gear selector lever of the automatic transmission has been fully moved into its Park position. This is accomplished usually by preventing the ignition switch cylinder from moving fully to its Off position until the gear selector lever is in Park. While many of the prior art interlock systems perform satisfactorily, there is nevertheless a continued need to condense the packaging and to reduce weight and fabrication costs.